Satellites or other spacecraft are configured to orbit around the Earth for a variety of purposes, such as communications, exploration, etc. For example, a geosynchronous satellite orbits the Earth and follows the direction of the Earth's rotation. Geosynchronous satellites orbit at a radius of about 42,164 kilometers from the center of the Earth. One revolution of a geosynchronous satellite around the Earth takes about 24 hours, which is the same amount of time it takes for the Earth to rotate once about its axis. These types of satellites are considered geosynchronous because they appear stationary when viewed from a particular location on the Earth, and are commonly used as communication satellites.
To put a geosynchronous satellite into a geosynchronous orbit, the satellite is loaded into a payload of a launch vehicle, and the launch vehicle carries the satellite into space. The launch vehicle may not carry the satellite all the way to the geosynchronous orbit (e.g., 42,164 kilometers), but instead releases the satellite at a lower orbit. The lower orbit may be a few hundred kilometers from Earth. The satellite then performs maneuvers with onboard thrusters to enter a transfer orbit that takes the satellite to the geosynchronous altitude.
Three-axis attitude control may be performed in the transfer orbit. For example, solar power may support the maneuvers of the satellite after separation from the launch vehicle, so the solar panels on the satellite are deployed after separation. High disturbance torques on the satellite makes it difficult to maintain attitude control when passing through low perigees. Therefore, it is desirable to identify new and improved ways for raising a satellite to a higher orbit before reaching a geosynchronous orbit.